Stamp affixing mechanism



Sept. 6, 1938. A. GAY

STAMP AFFIXING MECHANISM Filed May 6, 1957 llllllllllll 1N VENTOR.

Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFIQE Azel Gay, Rochester,N.

Company, Rochester, New York Y., assignor to Multipost N. Y., acorporation of Application May 6, 1937, Serial No. 141,110

6 Claims.

My present invention relates to stamp afiixing and label applying, thatis, the application of gummed sheets, such as postage stamps, to asurface, and it has for its object to improve the means by which theapplication of water in just the proper quantity is made to the gummedsurface or the receiving surface. The improvements relate in part to theprovision of a water reservoir that is completely sealed except for thenecessary discharge orifices and, therefore, otherwise unleakabledespite the fact that the water ejecting mechanism is located in theinside of the reservoir but operated by mechanism located outside of thereservoir. They also relate to the l 6' provision of means forregulating the amplitude of movement of the ejector to vary the amountof water discharged.

To these and other ends, the invention resides in certain improvementsand combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the endof this specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section and partly broken away, of afamiliar type of stamp afiixing machine constructed in accordance withand illustrating one embodiment of my invention;

Fig, 2 is a similar further enlarged fragmentary view takensubstantially on the line 22 of Figs. 3 and 4;

Fig. 3 is a transverse fragmentary section on the scale of Fig. 2 takensubstantially on the line 33 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is another but transverse section through the reservoir alonetaken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate thesame parts.

As illustrated, my invention is applied to a hand stamp for affixingpostage stamps to letters, and I have shown in a general way so much ofthe old construction as is necessary to an understanding of theimprovements that I have made. A casing I has mounted therein insuitable guides a vertical plunger 2 that is depressed by a stroke ofthe hand and returned by suitable spring means not shown. An extension 3of the casing is adapted to contain a roll of stamps that is fed bysuitable means, also not shown, across the face of a presser foot 4 atthe base of the plunger, in connection with which mechanism the stampsare carried down individually and cut off one by one to be applied tothe letter or other surface upon which the casing or the machine as awhole rests. For this purpose, the presser foot 4 makes contact throughan opening 5 in the bottom of the casing, which opening, by themanipulation of the machine as a whole, is positioned at the desiredpoint.

During the passage of the stamp and the presser foot 4 from the positionof the figures downwardly to the point of contact, a few drops of waterare projected preferably upon the receiving surface within the confinesof the opening 5 and beneath the presser foot. It is a momentary jet andissues from one or a plurality of openings 6 on the bottom rear face ofa reservoir 1 for the water supply that occupies a portion of theopening 5 and the said rear wall of which is is closely adjacent to thepath of the presser foot 4. The downward movement of the latter actuatesjet forming and controlling mechanism in the following manner:

On the inner wall of the rear face or cover plate 8 of the reservoir area pair of lugs 9 supporting a rock shaft ill. The projecting ends of theshaft carry yoke arms H connected by a cross piece l2 constituting asocket for a rubber or similar soft transverse bar l3. A yoke spring Mhas its loop engaging the cross piece 12, said spring being coiled aboutand supported on the shaft it with its ends l5 reacting against thereservoir wall. Thus, the tendency of the spring is to normally hold thepad 23 tightly as a stopper against the discharge orifices 6 as shown inFig. 2. When it is drawn away by inward forward swinging of the yokeagainst the tension of the spring and then suddenly released, it willsnap back to sealing position again, but in the interval will spurtsmall jets of water from the reservoir through the discharge orifices 6into the opening 5 and upon a surface exposed therein such as an envelopupon which the machine as a whole rests.

In the practice of my invention, the said wall 8 of the reservoir isprovided with an opening l6 over which, on the inside, a rubberdiaphragm H is spread and closely secured against the wall by a ring 18and screws I9 constituting a watertight joint. In the center of thediaphragm is a button having a head 26 projecting through the opening ISon the outer side and its shank 2| secured to a collar 22 within thereservoir in such manner that the diaphragm is clamped in a water-tightmanner between the button head and the collar. The yoke ll of theejecting mechanism has a cross rod 23 extending between its arms whichcross rod extends through and has a bearing in the collar 22. In thenormal posi- 55 iii) 5 is ejected through the orifices tions of theparts, as shown in the figures, the tendency of the spring l4 holds thediaphragm IT bulged outwardly in the opening l6 so that the button headprojects beyond the rear or outer face of the wall 8 of the reservoir.

With the construction and arrangement so far described, it will be seenthat pressure on the button 20 will thrust the whole diaphragm inwardly,rock the yoke H carrying the stopper l3 and, when the button is releasedsuddenly cause it to hammer against the discharge orifices B, eject thedesired amount of water and seal the orifices as first described, allwithout otherwise inducing or permitting any leakage of the water atother points.

In the present embodiment, the immediate actuator for the button 20 is abell crank lever 24 having one arm mounted on a wrist pin 25 in a lug 26on the top of the reservoir 1. The other arm 2'! normally rests bygravity or otherwise against the button head 20. At an intermediatepoint, this arm is provided with a cam abutment 28.

Just above the presser foot 4, the plunger 2 is provided with a cavity29 in which is pivoted on a transverse pin 30 an ear 3| on a dog 32. Aspring 33 coiled about the pivot and having one end engaging the dog andthe other reacting against the plunger normally holds the dog in theposition of the figures. In such position, a laterally and forwardlyprojecting toe 34 on the dog is in vertical alinement with the camabutment 28 or, in other words, the cam abutment 28 lies in the path ofthe toe when the plunger and presser foot are brought downwardly to cutand aflix the stamp. In so doing, the dog briefly engages the camabutment as it passes, depresses the button 20 and flexes the diaphragmto motivate the ejector and quickly and abruptly slips off of the same,the parts being immediately restored by spring M. The movement of theplunger is swift and the retraction and release of the stopper l3quickly follow each other so that just the very small amount of waterrequired 6 and spread upon the surface to be stamped. Upon the return ofthe plunger to its upper position of the figures, it will be seen thatthe spring 33 of the dog, being weaker than spring M, will yield andallow the toe 34 to ride over the cam abutment 28 without moving thebutton or diaphragm, the dog thereafter immediately restoring itself tothe normal position.

As theamplitude of movement imparted to the button 2&3 and connectedparts depends upon the dwell of the toe 34 upon the cam abutment 28, Iprovide means for regulating this. The arm of the dog on the oppositeside of its pivot to that of the toe 34 rests against a set screw 35threaded into the plunger 2 just above the cavity 29. The set screw isprovided with a lock nut 36 and by manipulation of the two the normalposition of the dog may be altered so that the abutment 28 will eitherlie substantially wholly in the path of the dog 34, as shown in thedrawing, or relatively slightly in its path so that the contact of thetwo parts is negligible with the working adjustments lying between theseextremes. The presser foot 4 is notched at 31 to accommodate the toe 34and abutment 28 regardless of this adjustment, as the path of theplunger as a whole is fixed.

The reservoir may be filled from time to time through a neck 38projecting through a suitable opening in the casing I normally closed bya threaded cap 39. For convenience in assembly, a shoulder 40 is formedon the forward lower edge of the reservoir cooperating with acomplementary shoulder 4| on the casing adjacent to the opening 5 tosupport the reservoir at the bottom, and it is secured in this positionby the tightening of the cap 39 against the exterior of the casing, asuitable gasket 42 being provided between the reservoir and casing. Thismakes the whole reservoir detachable and capable of assembly withoutother fastening devices than the said cap 39.

A stamp afiixer or similar machine constructed in accordance with myinvention is simple and durable, yet proof against leakage by reason ofcommunication of motivating energy from the exterior to the interior ofthe reservoir in accordance with the objects first herein set forth.Obviously, a thin metal platev could be substituted for or used inconjunction with the rubber in the diaphragm.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a stamp affixing mechanism, the combi nation with a movablepressure member and a water reservoir provided with nozzle openings'andhaving a flexible water-tight wall portion, of wa ter projecting meanslocated within the reservoir to cooperate with the nozzle openings andmoisten a surface in the path of the pressure member and means actingthrough the medium of the flexible wall portion for communicatingoperating motion to the projecting means.

2. In a stamp afiixing mechanism, the combination with a movablepressure member and a water reservoir provided with nozzle openings andhaving a flexible water-tight wall portion, of water projecting meanslocated within the reservoir to cooperate with the nozzle openings andmoisten a surface in the path of the pressure member, and means actuatedby the movement of the pressure member and acting through the medium ofthe flexible wall portion for communicating operating motion to theprojecting means.

3. A stamp afiixing mechanism in accordance with claim 1 in which theflexible Wall portion of the reservoir consists of a rubber diaphragmprovided with a metallic button on the exterior connected to theprojecting means on the interior.

4. A stamp affixing mechanism in accordance with claim 1 in which theoperating means. consists of a bell crank lever pivoted exteriorly onthe reservoir.

5. A stamp affixing mechanism in accordance with claim 1 in which theoperating means consists of a bell crank lever pivoted exteriorly on thereservoir, which lever is actuated by movement of the pressure member.

6. In a stamp affixing mechanism the combination with a movable pressuremember and a water reservoir provided with nozzle openings and having aflexible wall portion, of water projecting means located within thereservoir to cooperate with the nozzle openings and moisten a surface inthe path of the pressure member, and means actuated by the movement ofthe pressure member and acting through the medium of the flexible wallportion for communicating operating motion to the projecting means, thepressure member being provided for this purpose with an adjustable dogto regulate the amplitude of operative movement so communicated to theprojecting means.

AZEL GAY.

